4 Easy Ways to Open Your Home to Your Neighbors
By Pete Kirwan, Neighborhood Pastor
Imagine your home for a moment—not just as a place of solitude, but as a connection point between heaven and earth. Can you see it as a beacon—a lamp stand—not hidden but shining brightly and known as a place that brings light and hope to the lives around it?
When we begin to see our homes in this way, it naturally reshapes our perspective on the places we live. Hospitality becomes more than simply entertaining guests—it becomes an invitation to encounter warmth, welcome, and the Good News of Jesus. In opening our doors, we're not just sharing a meal or a space; we're sharing a glimpse of something sacred, offering others a taste of peace and a sense of belonging.
Hospitality isn't reserved only for experts and extroverts, though it may require a little extra from us. It's less about perfection and more about being present intentionally. It's saying, "Come as you are," and meaning it. It's about choosing to see your home—not just your house—as a tool in God's hands for healing, friendship, and restoration.
Jesus didn't wait for people to find the synagogue. He walked well-trodden roads, reclined at tables, and broke bread with sinner — ordinary people. He turned everyday spaces into sacred ones, and He taught us to do the same.
So, how do we open our homes in a way that shines Son Light into our neighborhoods? Here are four easy ways to begin.
1. Establish a Front Yard Life
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."— Matthew 5:14
You don't have to plan a party (for all of us introverts) to begin to open the doors of your home. Just move your life rhythms to the front yard. Sit on the porch. Water your flowers when neighbors are walking dogs. Enjoy your morning coffee on the front steps. Be visible. Smile. Say hello. Wave first. Front yard life turns accidental encounters into divine appointments.
Reflection: Where can I move one part of my weekly rhythm into a more visible, neighbor-facing space?
2. Keep Something Simple on Hand to Share
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…." — Hebrews 13:2
Hospitality is easier when it's prepared for. Keep popsicles in the freezer during summer. Have coffee or tea ready to brew and stock extra snacks or kid-friendly treats. Your most valuable asset to your
neighbors might be your ears. So, keep them available—and take out your earbuds. When you're ready to share a little, Jesus can multiply it into a lot—sound familiar?
Reflection: What's one easy thing I can stock this week to bless someone who might walk through my door?
3. Think Tables, Not Events
"They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts… And the Lord added to their number daily." — Acts 2:46–47
Big events are great, but the early Church grew house to house, one meal at a time. Don't underestimate the power of a simple table. Make room in your weekly rhythm for someone who doesn't yet follow Jesus. Don't just host your friends—welcome your neighbors, your kids' teammates, or the barista down the street. Meals don't need to be perfect; they need to be present. The goal isn't entertainment—it's encounter.
Reflection: What's one recurring meal in your week (Friday barbecue, weekend brunch, etc.) that you can begin inviting spiritually curious people into?
4. Practice BLESS Rhythms at Home
"I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." — 1 Corinthians 9:22
Use the BLESS model to anchor your approach:
Begin in Prayer
Listen
Eat Together
Serve
Share Your Story
Your home can be the context where all five rhythms converge. Start by praying for your neighbors by name. Invite someone over to eat. Ask meaningful questions. Offer help when you see a need. And when the Spirit opens the door, share what Jesus has done in your life.
Reflection: Which BLESS rhythm could you intentionally practice in your home this week?
You don't need a new yard—just a new mindset.
When you see your home as a frontline of the Gospel, everything shifts. It becomes easier to pray for your neighbors when they're used to seeing you pray. It becomes easy to initiate deeper conversations—
easier to take relational risks—when you know it's about more than being friendly. It's about transformation.
The Gospel isn't meant to stay confined to Sunday mornings. It's designed to move house to house, block by block. And it might just begin with a friendly wave or a vacant deck chair.
So go ahead—open your door. Make room at the table. The Kingdom of God is near.